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Aphrodite Apollo Ares Artemis Athena Atlas Coeus Crius Cronus Demeter Dionysus Gaia Hades Hephaestus Hera Hermes Hestia Hyperion Iapetus Mnemosyne Oceanus Phobos Phoebe Poseidon Prometheus Rhea Tethys Themis Uranus Zeus
Bacchus Ceres Diana Juno Jupiter Mars Mercury Minerva Neptune Pluto Venus Vesta Vulcan
Amun Anubis Aten Atum Babi Bastet Bes Geb Hapi hathor heqet Horus Isis Khepri Khnum Khonsu Maat Nephthys Nut Osiris Ptah Ra Seshat Seth Shu Sobek Thoth
Alfheim Baldur Freya Freyr Frigg Heimdallr Helheim Idun Jotunheim Loki Nerthus Njord Odin Thor Tyr
Aengus Arawn Badb Brigid Cailleach Ceridwen Cernunnos Cu Chulainn Dagda Danu Gwydion Herne the Hunter Lugh Medb Morrigan Neit Nuada Taliesin Taranis
Chalchiuhtlicue Coatlicue Huitzilopochtli Mictlantecuhtli Mixcoatl Ometeotl Quetzalcoatl Tezcatlipoca Tlaloc Tonatiuh Xipe Totec Xochiquetzal Xolotl
Amaterasu Ame no Uzume Benzaiten Bishamonten Daikokuten Ebisu Fujin Fukurokuju Inari Izanagi Kagutsuchi Raijin Susanoo Tsukuyomi
Caishen Cangjie Dragon King Eight Immortals Erlang Shen Fuxi Guanyin Hou Yi Huxian Jade Emperor King Yama Leizi Lu-ban Mazu Nezha Nuwa Pangu Shennong Sun Wukong Xiwangmu Yue Lao Zhong Kui
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  3. Rhea

Rhea

Rhea: Mother of the Olympian Gods

Rhea, Titan goddess of fertility and motherhood, may have played only a supporting role in the famous stories of Greek mythology. Still, the classic Greek pantheon wouldn’t even exist without her. Of all the goddesses that have carried the moniker, Rhea was indeed Mother of the Gods.

Rhea goddess statue

Rhea’s place in myth existed primarily in the pre-history of Olympian rule and with the epic formative story known as the Titanomachy. Once Rhea’s children were in power, she was present at many significant Olympus events.

Who Was Rhea in Greek Mythology?

Rhea was the first-generation Titan goddess of fertility and motherhood. Etymologists infer that the name “Rhea” is pre-Greek or Minoan in origin, though they disagree on its meaning. The word is thought to derive from seed words meaning earth, flow, ease, and occasionally, pomegranate. Ultimately, Rhea is associated with these attributes, but flow and ease are the most prevalent.

Flow is associated with fertility and motherhood, describing menstrual blood, birth waters, and mother’s milk. Ease in the Greek language is rhea. The works of Homer often use the phrase “the gods who live at their ease.” While this phrase suggests a leisurely life, it also notes that Rhea was responsible for it.

Though most of the goddesses in Greek mythology possessed eternal youth and beauty, Rhea was portrayed as an older, more matronly figure. She wore a high crown, sometimes called a turret crown, that was said to resemble the walls of a city. As Queen of the Gods during the Golden Age, she carried a royal scepter, and she possessed a grand palace on the peak of Mount Dindymon in Phrygia.

Like many of the other goddesses, the moon served as one of her symbols. She was also associated with the planet Saturn, and she lent her name to one of Saturn’s moons. Swans and lions were the animals most associated with Rhea. In various pieces of artwork, she rode a lion or in a chariot pulled by two lions. Of plants, she preferred the fir tree. Because of the story of the birth of Zeus, she was often depicted carrying a wrapped stone.

Rhea was associated with several of the mother goddesses in the Mediterranean and Near East. Often, she was used interchangeably with the goddess Cybele in Anatolia and sometimes with her own mother, Gaia. She was also revered as Meter Theon (Mother of the Gods) in Attica, Arcadia, Corinth, and other cities in Asia Minor. In Rome, she was identified as Magna Mater (the Great Mother) and the goddess Ops. Some have noted that Rhea was also an acronym for Hera, Zeus’s wife and Queen of the Olympian gods.

She had a significant cult in Crete, the island where she fled to give birth to Zeus. Rhythmic chanting and percussion were thought to be regular features of her worship.

Rhea’s Parentage and Early Titan Mythology

Rhea and Cronus

Rhea’s most significant contribution to myth took place during the Titanomachy, the War of the Titans. To understand this story, one must explore the earliest Greek legends concerning the creation of the world.

In the beginning, Chaos reigned. Chaos created the primordial gods, such as Nyx (Night), Erebus (Darkness), and Gaia (Earth). Gaia gave birth to Uranus (Sky) and then mated with him, producing the first 12 mighty giants known as the Titans. There were six males and six females, and some sources say they were six sets of twins, one set being Cronus and Rhea. Uranus also sired other giant races, the Cyclopes and the Hecatonchires.

Uranus ruled with an iron hand. He imprisoned the Cyclopes and the Hecatonchires in the abyss of Tartarus. Sometimes it was recorded that he was offended by the horror of those two races, but more likely, he was apprehensive of their size and strength, fearing they could overthrow him. Most sources agreed that the Titans, being smaller and more attractive, escaped this fate. Unfortunately for Uranus, this proved to be a mistake.

Gaia was aggrieved and offended at the treatment of her children. Also, their imprisonment in Tartarus caused her pain since Tartarus was located deep within the earth. She convinced the Titans to rise against their father, but only Cronus would wield a weapon against him.

Four of the brothers held Uranus while Cronus castrated him with an adamantine sickle given to him by Gaia. Defeated, Uranus fled back into the cosmos, and Cronus threw Uranus’ testicles into the sea. The blood that fell on the oceans created other creatures such as the Furies, the Erinyes, and the Meliae. His genitals caused the sea to foam, and from that foam, the goddess Aphrodite was born.

Rhea and the other female Titans took no active part in the overthrow of their father, but they did support the coup.

Cronus and Rhea: Mother and Father of the Olympians

After Cronus assumed his father’s throne on Mount Othrys, he married his twin sister, Rhea. Together they ruled the cosmos in the era known as the Golden Age. They had six children:

  • Hestia, goddess of hearth and home

  • Demeter, goddess of agriculture

  • Hera, goddess of family and eventually Queen of the gods

  • Hades, god of the underworld

  • Poseidon, god of the sea

  • Zeus, god of the heavens

However, the children of Rhea did not have an easy beginning in the world. Cronus knew of a prophecy warning him that he would be overthrown by his sons, just like he defeated his own father. He became obsessed with the idea. To escape this fate, he had a unique solution. When Rhea brought forth a child into the world, he swallowed it.

Rhea watched, helpless, as he swallowed five of their children right after their birth. When she became pregnant for the sixth time, she hid on the island of Crete, where she gave birth to Zeus. Instead of presenting Zeus to his father to be devoured, she handed Cronus a stone wrapped in swaddling clothes, and he ate it instead. In time, this stone was called the Omphalos Stone. Some sources suggested that the stone was given to her by her mother, Gaia.

Rhea kept her son Zeus hidden on Crete in the Dictean cave on Mount Ida to keep him safe. He was raised by the goat-nymph Amalthea and protected by militant giants called the Kouretes. They kept Cronus unaware of the infant’s existence by banging their shields together, concealing the baby’s cries. Rhea could not visit her son on the island, lest she might rouse Cronus’ suspicions.

Rhea’s Revenge and the Dawn of the Olympian Gods

Thanks to Rhea, Zeus grew up in safety. When it was time, Rhea went to her son on Crete and conspired to rescue his siblings, trapped in their father’s stomach. Zeus and Rhea returned to Mount Othrys, and Zeus disguised himself as Cronus’ cupbearer. He slipped an emetic into Cronus’ wine. Some sources report that it was mustard that was added to the drink. When Cronus consumed the wine, it made him violently ill, and he vomited up his five children, who had all grown to adulthood within his stomach. With Rhea’s guidance, her six children fought with Cronus and all the Titans who supported him.

The fierce War of the Titans lasted for 10 years. Each side seemed unbeatable, and the earth suffered greatly during the battles. It wasn’t until Zeus released the Cyclopes and Hecatonchires that the Olympians gained an advantage. With their help, the Olympians finally conquered the Titans.

After the defeat, Zeus took Cronus’ adamantine sickle and cut his father into a thousand pieces, throwing him into the abyss of Tartarus. All the Titans that opposed Zeus were imprisoned in Tartarus, except for Atlas. He was doomed to bear the sky on his shoulders for eternity. A few Titans, such as Prometheus and Epimetheus, were spared this fate. They went on to assist in the creation of mankind.

As the mother of the Olympians and instigator of the great war, Rhea was given a special place on Mount Olympus. She advised her children on how to divide the world to keep tensions between the siblings at bay. Although she was seldom mentioned after the end of the Titanomachy, Rhea was present at the great feasts of the gods and the birth of Apollo. It is said that she was the one who convinced Demeter to return to Olympus after the abduction of her daughter, Persephone.

Conclusion

Rhea the mother of gods

Rhea was a first-generation Titan and the Queen of the Gods during the Golden Age. Her contributions to the ancient stories were few but profound.

  • Rhea was the Titan goddess of fertility and motherhood.

  • She was revered as the Mother of the Gods.

  • Her six children were the original Olympian gods.

  • Her husband Cronus ate five of their children, and she saved the sixth, Zeus.

  • Zeus and Rhea tricked Cronus, saving the other five children and starting the War of the Titans.

  • After the defeat of the Titans, she was allowed to remain on Olympus.

Though she was involved in only a limited number of myths, Rhea was essential to the rise of the Olympians. In a way, she could be considered the mother of Greek mythology.

By Timeless Myths

Greek Gods:

  • • Aphrodite
  • • Apollo
  • • Ares
  • • Artemis
  • • Athena
  • • Atlas
  • • Coeus
  • • Crius
  • • Cronus
  • • Demeter
  • • Dionysus
  • • Gaia
  • • Hades
  • • Hephaestus
  • • Hera
  • • Hermes
  • • Hestia
  • • Hyperion
  • • Iapetus
  • • Mnemosyne
  • • Oceanus
  • • Phobos
  • • Phoebe
  • • Poseidon
  • • Prometheus
  • • Rhea
  • • Tethys
  • • Themis
  • • Uranus
  • • Zeus
Rhea (Ops)

Rhea (Ops)

Titaness and earth-goddess. Rhea was the daughter of Uranus and Gaea . According to Diodorus Siculus, Rhea's other name was Pandora. Rhea was identified by the Romans as the goddess Ops and Magna Mater. Rhea married her brother Cronus and was the ...

April 19th, 1999 • Jimmy Joe
Gaea and her Daughters

Gaea and her Daughters

In Greek mythology, Gaea and her daughters – Rhea , Themis and Dione – were the earliest earth and mother goddesses. These goddesses played decisive roles in Hesiod's Theogony , where they made or removed rulers. Gaea Gaea (Γαἳα) was seen as the e...

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Hera (Juno)

Hera (Juno)

Queen of heaven. Daughter of the titans Cronus and Rhea , she was known as the Roman goddess, Juno . She was the goddess of women, marriage and childbirth. She was sister of Zeus , Poseidon, Hades, Demeter and Hestia. She was one of the children s...

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Cronus (Saturn)

Cronus (Saturn)

Ruler of the universe and the leader of the Titans. Cronus was the youngest son of Uranus and Gaea ; according to Diodorus Siculus however, he was the eldest child. Cronus married his sister Rhea and was the father of Hestia , Poseidon , Hades , D...

April 19th, 1999 • Jimmy Joe
Demeter

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Cybele

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Mother goddess. Cybele (Kybele) was a Phrygian mother goddess who was worshipped in Greece and Rome. She was often equated with the two other Greek mother goddesses – Rhea and Demeter ( Ceres ). Cybele was so revered that she was often called "The...

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Gaia

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Gaia: Beautiful Mother Earth Goddess and Bearer of Greek Gods Gaia, Titan of the first generation, was mother earth in Greek mythology. She was there at the beginning of all things. Along with her son Uranus, she was the start of all life. But rea...

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Gaea (Earth)

Gaea (Earth)

The personification of earth and the goddess of the earth. Gaea was also known as Gaia or Ge, but to the Romans she was known as Terra Mater and Tellus . According to Diodorus Siculus, her name was also Titaea. Gaea was born together with Nyx ("Ni...

April 19th, 1999 • Jimmy Joe
Tethys

Tethys

Tethys: Spirit of Water and Mother of Thousands Tethys, Titan of flowing water, was one of the more obscure first-generation Titans in Greek mythology. She didn’t play much of an active role in many myths, but she is remembered for her impressive ...

April 2nd, 2002 • Timeless Myths
Tethys

Tethys

Titaness of the sea. Tethys was the daughter of Uranus and Gaea . She married her brother Oceanus . She became the mother of all the river gods. She is said to have borne three thousand daughters, known as the Oceanids . The eldest daughter was St...

April 19th, 1999 • Jimmy Joe

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